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One fuch example here below,
(In heav'n let virtue truft)
Does an hereafter plainly show;
God cannot be unjuft.

THE SOLILOQUY OF A BEAUTIFUL
LADY IN THE COUNTRY.

BY LORD LYTTLETON.

"Twas night, and Flavia to her room retir'd,
With evening chat, and fober reading tir'd;
There melancholy, penfive, and alone,
She meditates on the forfaken town ;
On her rais'd arm, declin'd her drooping head,
She figh'd, and thus in plaintive accents said:
Ah! what avails it to be young and fair,

• To move with negligence, to dress with care?
• What worth have all the charms our pride can boast
If all in envious folitude are loft ?

← Where none admire, 'tis useless to excel ;

• Where none are beaus, 'tis vain to be a belle; Beauty, like wit, to judges must be shown,

· Both most are valu'd, where they best are known; With every grace of nature, or of art,

We cannot break one stubborn country heart; ← The brutes, infenfible, our power defy; To love, exceeds a 'fquire's capacity ;

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The town, the court, is beauty's proper fphere; • That is our heaven, and we are angels there;

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In that gay circle thousand cupids rove ;

The court of Britain is the court of love;

How has my conscious heart with triumph glow'd,
How have my sparkling eyes their transport show'd;
At each dinguish'd birth-night ball, to fee,
The homage due to empire, paid to me;

• When every eye was fix'd on me alone,

And dreaded mine, more than the monarch's frown; When rival ftatefmen for my favour ftrove,

• Lefs jealous in their power, than in their love; Chang'd is the fcene; and all my glories die,

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Like flowers tranfplanted to a colder sky;

Loft is the dear delight of giving pain,
The tyrant joy of hearing flaves complain;

In ftupid indolence my life is fpent,
Supinely calm, and dully innocent;
Unblefs'd, I wear my useless life away,

Sleep, wretched maid! all night, and dream all day;

Go at fet hours to dinner and to prayer; 4

For dulnefs must be ever regular.

Now, with mamma, at tedious whift, I play,
Now without fcandal, drink infipid tea;
Or in a garden, breathe the country air,
Secure from meeting any tempter there;
From books to work, from work to books, I rove,`
And am (alas!) at leisure to improve !

Is this a life, a beauty ought to lead ?

Were eyes, fo radiant, only made to read?

6 Thefe

These fingers, at whofe touch, even age would glow,
Are thefe of ufe for nothing but to fow?
Sure erring nature never could defign,

To form a housewife, in a mould like mine!
O Venus, queen and guardian of the fair!
Attend propitious to thy vot'ry's prayer;
Let me revifit the dear town again;
"Let me be feen!-could I that with obtain,
All other wishes, my own power would gain."

THE POWER OF INNOCENCE.

A TRUE STORY.

WHEN firft the nuptial ftate, we prove,
We live the happy life of love;

But when familiar, charms no more
Infpire the blifs, they gave before,
Each lefs delighting, lefs is lov'd,
First this, then that, is disapprov❜d;
Complacence flies, neglect fucceeds,
Neglect, difdain and hatred breeds.

'Twas thus a pair, who long time prov'd
The joys to love and be belov'd;
At length fell out for trifling things,
From trifling, anger chiefly fprings;
The wish to please forfook each breaft,
Love's throne was then by rage poffefs'd:
Refolv'd to part, they meet no more:
Enough-the chariot's at the door.

The manfion was my lady's own;

Sir John refolv'd to live in town
Writings were drawn, each cause agreed,
Both vow'd they'd ne'er recall the deed;.
The chariots wait, why this delay
The fequel fhall the cause display.

One lovely girl the lady bore,
Dear pledge of joys fhe tastes no more
The father's, mother's darling, she
Now lifp'd and prattled on each knee;
Sir John, when rifing to depart,
Turn'd to the darling of his heart;
And cry'd, with ardour in his eye,

• Come Betfey, bid mamma good bye;"
The lady, trembling, anfwer'd, 'no-
Go, kifs papa, my Betfey, go

The child fhall live with me'

-she cry'd,

The child shall chufeSir John reply'd;

Poor Betfey, look'd at each by turns,
And each the starting tear difcerns;

My lady afks, with doubt and fear,
• Will you not live with me, my dear ?
Yes, half refolv'd, reply'd the child,
And half fupprefs'd her tears she smil'd ;
Come Betfey,' cry'd Sir John,

you'll go

And live with dear рара, I know.' Yes, Betfey cry'd the lady then, Addrefs'd the wond'ring child again,

The

The time to live with both is o'er,

This day we part to meet no more:

Chufe then,'

-her grief o'erflow'd her breaff,
And tears burst out, too long fupprefs'd;
The child who tears and chiding join'd,
Suppos'd papa, displeas'd, unkind;
And try'd, with all her little skill,
To footh his oft relenting will;

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Do, cry'd the lifper, pappy! do,

← Love dear mamma! mamma loves you ;*
Subdu'd, the fource of manly pride,
No more his looks his heart bely'd ;
The tender transport forc'd its way,
They both confefs'd each others sway;
And prompted by the focial fmart,
Breaft rush'd to breast, and heart to heart;
Each clafp'd their Betfey, o'er and o'er,
And Tom drove empty from the door;
You that have paffions for a tear,

Give nature vent, and drop it here.

FROM A LADY TO A GENTLEMAN,

IN ANSWER TO A COMPLIMENTARY COPY OF VERSES

YOUR lines poetic, Sir, I read,

This morning, when I rofe from bed;
The air was chill, and, far as fight,
The hills and fields were clad in white;

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